1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bicycles, more particularly, to bicycle saddles that help to alleviate physiological problems associated with prolonged bicycle riding.
2. The Prior Art
The typical bicycle saddle consists of a base, a resilient pad, and a cover. The base, which is generally plastic, acts to impart rigidity and form to the saddle, the pad provides resilient support to the rider, and the cover provides a soft surface and protects the pad.
In men, the pressure from sitting on a bicycle saddle for long periods of time may bruise or damage the structures of the perineum between the scrotum and the anus. This pressure may bruise a nerve called the ilioinguinal nerve, which is the sensory nerve supply to the scrotum and penis. This neuropraxia, or nerve bruising, will cause numbness and, in extreme cases, can cause impotence.
The typical solution for avoiding neuropraxia is to stand up or shift position in the saddle from time to time. However, it is not always possible to stand or shift on a regular basis, particularly in race conditions or simply because the rider does not remember to do so.
There are two basic solutions to the problem involving the design of the saddle. The first is to remove the section of the saddle along which the ilioinguinal nerve runs so that weight cannot be put on that portion of the perineum. Implementations of this solution include removing the entire nose of the saddle or removing only a portion of the nose of the saddle. As to the former, the disadvantages include more difficulty in maintaining balance on the saddle and a lose of "feel" of the bicycle. The latter is accomplished either by forming a hole in the saddle or by splitting the saddle lengthwise down the middle so that there is a gap in the saddle where the ilioinguinal nerve runs. In either case, direct support for that portion of the perineum is lost; support is provided indirectly by the sides of the nose.
The second solution involving the saddle is to use additional padding or to vary the density of the padding. When additional padding is put in the nose, the rear must also be built up. The result is that the distribution of the rider's weight is not appreciably different than with a saddle without extra padding. The padding density can be varied by using different materials for different portions of the saddle, such as air, gel, or foams of different densities, or a single piece of foam is manufactured so that its density decreases from the seat to the nose. However, the cost to manufacture such a saddle is much greater than that of typical single-density saddles.